Report by Paddy Gladman

Cleeve took the lead with their first chance of the game in the eleventh minute; Harrison Reeves collected the ball in the final third and threaded a neat pass through the Westbury defence for Ross Langworthy, who cut inside and delicately lobbed the ball over the helpless Jonathan Hill and into the top corner!

The lead didn’t last for long though as Harvey Flippance levelled the scoring after twenty minutes. The Men in Gold’s number 9 fired a shot powerfully beyond Lewis Clayton and into the roof of the net from close range with his left foot.

However, the hosts didn’t let United’s equaliser get to them and four minutes later they were back in front! Ethan Dunbar latched onto the ball and coolly slotted past Hill into the bottom right corner to make it 2-1. The goal came after a huge chance for the visitors to go ahead themselves through Leo Rendell, less than a minute earlier …

The only difference between the sides in this end-to-end affair was Cleeve’s clinical nature! On the stroke of half-time Reeves doubled the hosts’ advantage, making it 3-1. Malshanskyj created the chance; winning it high up the pitch before finding Reeves who dropped his shoulder well to beat the defender before slotting through the ‘keeper’s legs.

In the second half the tempo of the game slowed down as the Mitres were content with their two-goal cushion, however in the sixty-sixth minute Clayton provided a fine double save to deny Westbury pulling one back.

In response to Clayton’s heroics, Paul Collicutt’s men pushed for a fourth and thought they’d found it through Toby Holland. The substitute whipped a wicked free kick which looked destined for the top right corner, unfortunately he was agonisingly denied by Hill.

Holland had another chance a minute later after Malshanskyj’s blistering pace left the defender for dead; allowing the winger to cut a perfect pass back for Holland who fired over.

In the seventy-fifth minute, Westbury captain: Charlie Walton, halved the deficit; hitting a stunning strike past Lewis Clayton from range which clipped the underside of the crossbar on its way in to make it 3-2.

The Mitres thought they had cancelled out Walton’s effort immediately through the lively Holland, however his shot was superbly saved onto the post from Hill – keeping his side in the contest.

Westbury then hit the woodwork for themselves in the eighty-fourth minute in amongst a scramble in the Cleeve penalty area. No defender could get the ball away but fortunately they were rescued by the crossbar, before the ball fell to goal scorer: Walton, who let the pressure get to him; volleying over the top from close range.

That was United’s final big chance of the game, as the hosts held on; defending well as a unit they prevented any late scares to get over the line and earn a well-deserved 3 points at home!

The win takes Cleeve up to 6th place, 2 points ahead of Westbury who drop down to 10th – despite playing 2 more games than the Mitres.

The hosts now look forward to a first away trip since mid-September as they travel to Tavistock next Saturday afternoon, looking to build on a positive performance and result.